Avery The Czar Imperial Stout

I picked up this bottle of Imperial Stout from Avery today because I've really been craving a stout that matches up to the greatness of Deschute's Abyss brew that I had towards the end of 2010.  That was a magical beer, and this year I haven't found a stout that's even come close, so I'm hopeful that Avery has the cajones to deliver against a bar that has admittedly been set very high (blame Deschutes!).

Awesome label design from Avery

This beer registers at about 11.69% ABV, an obscene 1.104 original gravity, and 70 IBUs.  It is bottled in a loud, colorful label.....the bottlecap is enclosed in foil in true Avery fashion, and the label shows a portrait of a stately man that we can assume is "The Czar".  The design has a Russian look and feel to it.

This beer will be going into my snifter glass - it pours a jet black with a very thick, full tan head that doesn't want to receed.  The nose brings roasty malts, mocha coffee, and alcohol.  The taste is almost identical to the smell - this is a classic imperial stout with roasted chocolate malts at the forefront.  The middle has some sweet mocha coffee and bitter dark chocolate, and the finish is extremely boozy and hits with a burn.  The mouthfeel is creamy and thick, and the beer sits heavy in my stomach. 

Overall Rating:  (4.3 out of 6.0)  This was a big beer that really followed the guidelines of the Imperial Stout style.  The taste was solid, but the alcohol was too prominent and prevented this from being a great beer.  That would likely mild out over time, so I'd recommend this one sit in the cellar for a while before drinking.